In a major privacy update, WhatsApp on Monday announced rolling out username reservations globally, allowing people to create and reserve a username before the feature is available in-app later this year.
“With over three billion people on WhatsApp a lot of names overlap, which is why we’re opening reservations early so everyone has the opportunity to select the username that matters to them,” WhatsApp said in a release.
According to the company, the username feature is designed to offer an additional layer of privacy by allowing users to connect without sharing their phone numbers. Even in group chats, users will be able to join privately without revealing their phone numbers, according to the company. WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app in India with over 500 million users across the country.
Till now it had phone numbers as the only way for users to connect with each other, but with usernames, the company looks to provide a more private option for users to engage on the platform. Unlike other social media handles, WhatsApp usernames will not appear in a searchable directory or through suggestions.
Users will have to know a person’s exact username to start a conversation. Once the feature is live, users of the messaging app globally would see an option to create their unique usernames with the help of an in-app generator, said the company in a blog.
For business users, there would be an option for them to claim their existing Instagram or Facebook username on WhatsApp. The company said users can also set up a “username key” to add another layer of protection. Anyone trying to contact through a username for the first time will need the key before they can start a conversation. Users will also be able to change the key at any time.